Tottenham Hotspur will kickstart their 2019/20 UEFA Champions League campaign by facing Olympiacos tomorrow. The last season’s finalists will likely prioritise this coveted tournament after a disappointing start to their Premier League campaign.
They have been drawn in Group B, where they will face Bayern Munich, Crvena Zvezda and Olympiacos. And in this article, we will assess each of their opponents and try to figure out how they could cause problems for the Lilywhites this season.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich are the obvious favourites to win Group B. They are, in fact, one of the favourites to win the Champions League. But, they have, of late, struggled to perform in Europe, notably getting knocked out of this competition in the Round of 16 stage last season to eventual champions Liverpool.
Additionally, the Bavarians have looked extremely vulnerable at the back under Niko Kovac, and that’s where Spurs have a real chance of sealing all three points in both the games against the Bundesliga champions. However, they provide substantial threat going forward, especially with Robert Lewandowski leading the attack.
The Polish international has already netted seven goals in four matches and should be the one to keep an eye on if Spurs are to salvage anything against Bayern Munich.
Crvena Zvezda
Crvena Zvezda are the minnows of this Group B and are expected to finish at the bottom of the league table. Also known as Red Star, the Serbian champions have a market value of just €57 million as per Transfermarkt.
They are also facing a lot of problems, even though they are the only side in the Serbian league this season to retain a hundred percent winning record. Milan Pavkov is their star player, having scored four goals in the league so far. Club captain and former Chelsea prodigy Marko Marin, too, is a key figure in midfield and has the quality to make a difference.
That being said, Tottenham must secure all six points against Red Star if they are to have any chance to topping Bayern Munich in the final group standings.
Olympiacos
Olympiacos are the surprise factor in this group. That means if the Lilywhites end up slipping, it will be the Greek giants to take up their spot in second place. So naturally, tomorrow’s game in Athens will go a long way in shaping the fate of the hosts in this group unless they pull out a miracle against Bayern.
Olympiacos do have an excellent squad, however, with former French international Mathieu Valbuena leading their creative department. They also have Konstantinos Fortounis. But, unfortunately, the Greek playmaker is currently out injured.
It is, however, likely that they will employ a deep-defensive block and try to wear out the Spurs attackers. Hence, the Lilywhites have to come up with creative ideas to break down the Olympiacos defence.
